From now until December 7, read all the news from Providence 2014 in CsbNews.org.

Today Starts:

Marsha May Sternberg Women’s B-A-M: Play in the Marsha May Sternberg Women’s Board-a-Match Teams gets underway today, with two qualifying sessions followed by two final sessions tomorrow. At stake: the Marsha Sternberg Memorial Trophy

Super Senior Pairs: Play begins today in the Super Senior Pairs, open to players age 70 and older.

Mitchell Open BAM: Play begins today in the Mitchell Open Boarda-Match Teams. Players will be competing forthe Victor Mitchell Trophy, which honors one of bridge’s most colorful characters —a champion player, philosopher and mentor to the stars. The Open Board-a-Match Teams is a four session event that consists of two qualifying andtwo final sessions. It was a men’s event until 1990, when it became an open event.

Krekorian, Koneru nail LM win

Jim Krekorian and Venkatrao Koneru

Capitalizing on a 70% game in the first final session of the Nail Life Master Pairs, Jim Krekorian and Venkatrao Koneru claimed victory in the contest by a margin of less than half a board. Krekorian, of Pensacola FL, and Koneru, of San Antonio TX, held off a late charge by the Egyptian duo of Wael Mohsen and Reda Yaacoub, who were playing in their first North American championship. The winners’ four-session total was 2599.25, while the runners-up posted 2579.71 (77 top in the final). This is the seventh NABC title for Krekorian (his second in this contest), and the second national title for Koneru.

Jenkins, De Young win Women’s Pairs

Bronia Jenkins and Bernace De Young

win Women’s Pairs Bronia Jenkins and Bernace De Young, who formed a first-time partnership minutes beforethe start of the Smith Life Master Women’s Pairs, led the event from start to finish, winning by 7.4 matchpoints on a 25 top. The runners-up, Russians Victoria Gromova and Tatiana Ponomareva, were in second place throughout the event. In the final, the winners scored 59.80% in the first session and 59.31% in the second. It was the first North American championship for De Young, and the win makes her a Grand Life Master. Jenkins had originally asked Gary Cohler to play in the Nail Life Master Pairs, but he declined, so the Jenkins-De Young partnership was formed. Cohler approached the winners after the final round and said, “Do I get credit for this?” De Young, of Miami FL, retired last month after 35 years of practicing law. Jenkins’s current job is “taking care of my two kids.” The Vero Beach FL resident formerly worked in the foreign exchange business as an options trader, “about a thousand years ago.” Jenkins said her partner “was great on every hand.” De Young added, “We played solid – and we bid every slam.” The win for De Young ended 20 years of frustration. Starting in 1994, she finished second in nationally rated events four times with four different partners before Saturday’s victory. She and Jenkins led after each of the four sessions, entering the final with a lead of about 10 matchpoints.

Gupta survives scare, in Senior KO quarters

The team captained by Vinita Gupta, defending champions in the Baze Senior Knockout Teams, survived a scare against four Norwegians to advance to the quarterfinal round of the event with a 130-115 victory. Gupta is playing with Billy Miller, Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell, Lew Stansby and Bart Bramley. They defeated Jostein Sorvoll, Peter Marstrander, Eirik Bolviken and Rune Brendeford Anderssen, playing as TROMSO-2015. The Norwegians led by 37 IMPs at the halfway point but Gupta pulled to within 4 IMPs with a quarter to go and won the final set 29-0.